


Family business

by FallenFurther



Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Abandonment, Abduction, Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Drugs, Gen, Hero Worship, Needles, Rescue, Torture, Whump, caged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26854036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther
Summary: Tanusha is sent to stay with her uncle again as her Dad has business elsewhere. When she's bundled from her bed in the middle of the night things go from bad to worse. She has faith in her father but how long will it take for him to rescue her?Written using Whumptober prompt numbers 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.Trigger warnings for kidnapping, child torture and there's a needle in one chapter.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946191
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	1. Running out of time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Number 4  
> Prompt: caged

Tanusha climbed into bed with a sigh having said goodnight to her uncle. It was the start of another long weekend staying with the man, the second time that summer. Her father was getting busy with a work project and it was not safe enough for her to join him, whatever that meant. She may have grown up with her uncle around, but that didn’t mean she liked him. There was something strange about him, something creepy, but her father trusted him enough to leave her in his care. Not that there was anything for her to do at her uncle’s place. He had no games, very little furniture and the flat was small. He refused to let her out the flat unsupervised either, so she had to watch the other kids play in the park from the window. It was even more dull when he himself left, leaving her alone with her thoughts. It was worse than boarding school. Sighing, she curled up, wondering if tomorrow would be different. 

*****

Tanusha woke with a start. Her brain tried to catch up, trying to work out where she was. Wriggling she realised she was in someone's arms, but before she could work out whose she was lowered and dropped. Coated metal dug at her arms and legs as she went bottom first into something. A hand pushed her legs down and there was a clink of metal on metal. Something clicked. Tanusha thrashed only for her arms to hit the metal bars of the box. Adrenaline was pulsing through her veins, fighting the haze of sleep. She growled only to be shaken as the cage was tipped on its side. Her head was thrust back into the metal, stunning her temporarily. She stuck her fingers through the mesh, only to brush against fabric. Someone wanted to hide her. Curling her fingers around the joints, she pulled herself up, twisting to get her legs beneath her so she was no longer bent over on her back. She grunted with the strain but managed to right herself, despite the shuddering of the cage. 

“Help!” She screamed, as cool air wrapped around her. “Help me!”

“Shut it, squirt!” A gruff voice replied before the cage was lifted and plonked onto what sounded like a truck bed. “Ya think anyone round here would help ya? We’ll be long gone before anyone hears ya.”

Tanusha continued to call out, even when the engine roared and the truck started to move. She banged her fists against the mesh as the light of streetlamps briefly lit up her world as they passed by. It didn’t take long for the lights to become infrequent and then disappear entirely as the truck picked up speed. Tanusha was angry as she lent against the bars. Why was she being kidnapped? Where was her uncle? Where was her father? A tear fell from her eye and she wiped the trail away with the back of her fist. She sniffed. She wouldn’t let this get to her, she would fight. Slowly, despite the dull ache in her head, the jolting and the wind blowing through the sheet, Tanusha drifted off. 

She was awoken again when the cage was retrieved, her body being slammed against the other side. Pain radiated through her shoulder, but she forced it to the back of her mind. 

“Help! Help me!” She bellowed. “Help!”

A low chuckle rocked her cage. “Scream all ya want, sweetie, only the corn can hear ya.”

Tanusha kicked out with a roar. She was tired, angry and needed to vent her frustration on something. The cage lurched slightly giving her some satisfaction. She was about to kick out again when her cage was dropped and the sound of boots faded away. The sheet was still over her cage, but not all of it was caught beneath it. With great patience she stuck her fingers through the mesh and inched the material up. Getting impatient she gripped a bit and pulled as much as she could through the square. Half the cage was now clear and she bent down to peek at her new surroundings. It was an almost bare living room with only a dust covered sofa and a table near the hall. Her eyes paused on the figure that was standing in that hallway, and the smile that was on his face. A shiver ran down her shine. 

“Good morning, Tanusha.”

“Uncle?”

“I’m sorry about the rough journey, and the cage, but sometimes plans change.”

“What am I doing here, uncle?” 

Kayo was angry and she scowled at her uncle. He was a sick man. Why had her Dad trusted him? 

“My brother and his new business partner aren’t listening to me. They say my ideas don’t fit the company's values. Well, I’ll show them how much their values matter when something precious is on the line. I will show them what real control is.”

Her uncle's chuckle echoed as he wandered away, leaving Tanusha with a sick feeling in her stomach.


	2. Where do you think you're going?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Number 5  
> Prompt: failed escape

The footsteps startled Tanusha out of her snooze. Her body was stiff from where she'd been resting against the cage.

"Evening sleeping beauty."

Her blood curdled at the leering tone of the thug's voice. She needed to get out of this cage and find a way to contact her father. The man crouched down and finished removing the sheet, not caring about how much he rocked the cage. 

"Ya uncle told me to guard ya and to make sure ya don't escape. But he gave no instruction on how I was meant to keep ya." 

The gleam in the man's eyes sent a shiver down Tanusha's spine as she shivered in response. Her guard lifted the cage, his fingers poking through the mesh. The tickle of metal on metal as the bars brushed against his pocket gave Tanusha an idea. She set her eyes on his pocket and twisted herself into place. With each step the cage shifted lower in the man’s grip and soon the pocket is within reach. As he paused to shift the cage higher, Tanusha made her move. She slipped her fingers through the bars and into the pocket, where they hook the loop of the keys. In a flash the keys were in her hand and she started fiddling with the lock in an attempt to find the right one. 

“Hey!” 

The cage was immediately plonked on the ground as the lock sprung open in her hand. Her heart leapt as she threw open the door and rushed out. A hand wrapped around her arm and she bit it, causing a satisfying yelp from her captor. He let go and she sprinted towards the front door. She may not know where she was but out there was better than in a cage. Tanusha hoped for a car or something she could use to escape with, or even just something to fight back with. Anything to give her a chance. Her arm reached out for the front door. The tip of her finger hit the handle as she went down. He was faster than he looked and now his body was on top of hers, forcing the air from her lungs. Wriggling, she tried to shake him off, but she was pinned. His hands pressed her down as he lifted his weight up and brought his knees either side to secure her arms. 

“Let me go!” Tanusha growled. 

Kicking her legs against his back only brought laughter from him. She felt his weight shift and his face came up behind her head.

“Nice try, young lady.” He uttered into her ear, “Ya uncle warned me that ya could be a little feisty. I was hoping I wouldn’t be in need of this…”

A capped needle was waved in front of Tanusha’s eyes and she squirmed in response. Her movements made no difference. 

“But ya left me no choice. Ya uncle is an unforgiving man.”

The needle was removed from her sight. She felt a prick in her shoulder but continued to struggle as her strength slowly faded away and her eyelids grew heavy.


	3. Please....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Number 6  
> Prompt: Stop, please

Tanusha woke up handcuffed to a bed. Its musty odour made her want to gag and there was a spring digging into her back, but as she surveyed the room it was the henchman that caught her attention. In his hand was a cattle prod. He was stroking its prongs with his fingers before he turned to face her with a smirk on his face. 

“Morning Princess.”

Tanusha tugged on her restraints as his footsteps approached the bed. The bed sunk as the man sat down, rolling her body towards him. She let herself look up at him, a scowl on her face. 

“What do you want?” She spat at him. 

His chuckle bounced the bed slightly. 

“I want to have some fun. Ya see, I just love making people scream and beg. Will ya beg for me?”

“Never!” 

The venom in her voice only made his smile wider. There was really something wrong with this man. His fingers danced along the skin of her bare arms, making her freeze. The thought had crossed her mind but he’d left her pyjamas on. If he wanted that she wouldn’t be clothed. 

“I’m so glad ya said that. It only took thirty three minutes to make my last charge beg, a disappointment really, but what do ya expect from a spoilt little banker with a cushy job. He had no spine, but ya, ya have so much more fire.”

The prongs of the prod were placed against her upper arm. Her eyes were glued to it as her heart raced. The wait was agonising, she knew he was going to shock her. Tanusha’s hand clamped shut at the same time as her eyes as the pain sped through the contact points. Her muscle jerked and she held her breath, relaxing as the pain faded. This was the start, her captor was taking great joy from her reaction. He slowly moved the prongs down her arms towards her wrists. The handcuffs started digging in from the tenth shock, her skin felt increasingly raw with every jolt. After completing one arm he continued to the other, turning up the charge as he did. It was more painful the second time, bringing tears to her eyes. Once he’d finished shocking every finger, the prod was placed against her damp cheek. 

“Want me to stop?”

Tanusha didn’t respond, knowing her words would make no difference. She kept her eyes turned away, a scowl on her face and tried to stay focused. Her arms ached. It annoyed her that it felt uneven. 

“Ya are a strong one, aren’t ya? Don’t worry. Ya bravado won’t last long.”

The prod was removed from Tanusha’s face and placed against her thigh. The pain is twice as bad now and the skin around her wrists was broken. The prongs were slowly moved down her leg and Tanusha tried to fight the screams. Her lip had split when she'd caught it when she'd bitten down. The tang of blood helped move her focus temporarily, but now she couldn't stop the gasps of pain. A tear escaped when he shocked the back of her knee. It was her feet that broke her. His laugh told her he knew what he was doing. The tops of her feet had her eyes streaming and she could barely take it. 

"No!"

It was barely a whisper as she pulled against the cuff around her ankle. The metal prongs still rested against the sole of her foot. He held it there, knowing. She knew it would be the worst pain yet. 

"Ya know how to make it stop, Tanusha."

Tanusha stared down at him, pleading with her eyes. The pain that shot up her leg made her scream. 

"Please, stop." She yelped, her body shaking. The pain dulled only for the jolt to come again. Tears poured down her face. 

"Please, stop." She sobbed. 

"Ask the way I want ya to."

The prod poked into the sole of her foot but he didn't trigger it. No yet. Tanusha cracked. 

"I'm begging you. Stop it."

"Say it again."

"I'm begging you to stop."

"Good girl." 

The prod was removed from her skin and his footsteps left the room. The prod went with him. Now alone, Tanusha crumbled, but the relief that it was over was stifled by the fact that it could happen again. Relaxing against her restraints, she tried to steady her breathing, contain her thoughts and gather her strength. She'd only survived round one.


	4. I've got you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Number 7  
> Prompt: Carrying

He had defeated her, she accepted it now. Shame had flooded her when she couldn't hold in any longer. The dampness added to the filth of the bed. Her shirt was damp from drinking water in such an awkward position. Tanusha had had to earn that too. The bottle had sat there, taunting her. He had enjoyed watching her succumb to her thirst. She had to plead and beg until he was satisfied. Where her uncle had found such a man Tanusha didn't want to know, she just feared what would happen when her begging wasn't enough. 

She'd managed to get some rest, though her body was still tired and her head was fuzzy. Her body was screaming to be released. Her heart pounded at the sound of the door opening. He looked fresh, in new clothes, but the same cattle prod hung from his hands. No more. She wanted no more. The side of the prod brushed against her arm and she shivered. 

"Good afternoon, Tanusha. Ready for more?"

Tanusha kept quiet, not wanting to waste precious energy if she didn't have to. She just had to survive, weather the storm. Her dad would come, he wouldn't stop until she was safe. She had to believe it. There was nothing else she could do. The torment began and her world narrowed to pain.

What she hadn't expected was for the bang of the door to resonate through the room. She thought it might be her uncle coming in to check up on her. The prod left her skin. 

"Who are ya?"

The surprise in his voice made her turn her head. Another man, a stranger, was in the room. The man's fist flew at the guard, making contact with the guard’s cheek with a loud smack. Tanusha had no idea if he was safe if not, if he would be better than the guard she had now. Her guard tried to retaliate but the new man was too quick. The short fight ended with the guard on the floor with his hands and feet bound. Tanusha could only stare. The man turned to her, his blue eyes full of concern. Those eyes left her as he patted down the guard and pulled keys from a pocket. The man approached slowly and placed his hand on the top of her head. Tanusha would have shivered if their eyes weren’t locked. She was scared of him. Yet despite the strong jawline, there was a kindness in his face and a softness in those deep blue pools. 

“Let’s get you out of here, Tanusha.”

Her heart leapt as he reached up and removed the cuffs that shackled her to the bed. Tears of relief mixed with tears of pain as the metal was carefully removed from her sore wrists. There was so little strength left in her that she couldn’t sit up, but it didn’t matter as the man slipped one arm under her knees and another behind her back. Tanusha was lifted from the bed, her body falling against his as he carried her from the room. It felt safe in his arms, and she truly believed she was being rescued. It was over. This man had saved her. 

Tanusha squinted as they left the house, the light painfully bright compared to the gloom of the room. As her eyes adjusted she saw they were approaching a car. The man shifted her so he could open the back door. Tanusha expected him to lay her on the back seat, however he shuffled in with her on his lap. A blanket was wrapped around her and a bottle of water was opened and handed to her. She glugged it gratefully, still leaning in close to her saviour. Out the corner of her eye, she watched him make a call. 

“Good evening Mr Tracy. How was your search?”

The sound of her father’s voice made Tanusha sob and tears started flowing again. He knew her father, she really was being saved, she was going home. 

“I have her, Kyrano. She’s safe now.”

The phone was held up and Tanusha could see her father on the screen. There was worry in his eyes that turned to relief at the sight of her. It was a subtle change, one only those who knew her father well would notice, but it was there. 

“Has he hurt her?”

“She has wounds on her wrists and ankles that I’ll clean up in a minute, she’s dehydrated and probably hungry, but no other obvious signs of harm. I’m going to take her to get checked out straight away.”

“And my brother?”

“He wasn’t here, just three thugs that I had to take out. Two downstairs, one upstairs, all currently restrained.”

“You handled the situation well, Mr Tracy.”

The chuckle from Mr Tracy rocked Tanusha slightly, the deep vibrations reverberating along the aching muscles of her arm.

“I may be an astronaut, but I was in the Air force first and you don’t just forget that kind of training.”

“I’m thankful for it, Mr Tracy. I am in your debt.”

“Forget it, Kyrano. You would have done the same if it was one of my sons.”

“I still thank you, Mr Tracy. I will leave to join you immediately.”

“She’s in safe hands, Kyrano.”

“I know.”

The call ended and peace started to settle over Tanusha. Her father was coming, he had been searching for her, and it was over. Exhaustion washed over her and she yawned. Curling up against Mr Tracy, her eyes closed. She was safe now. Secure in Mr Tracy’s arms, Tanusha drifted off.


	5. Where did everyone go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Number 8  
> Prompt: Abandoned

Tanusha jerked awake, the nightmare of Jeff Tracy blowing up still echoed through her mind. Except it wasn't a nightmare. She'd seen the footage. It had happened. The man who'd rescued her, who'd taken her into his home afterwards. She'd stayed with his family when her father had to leave with him. It'd been odd at first, having so many people, so many boys, around, but she'd adjusted. She kept her secrets but they welcomed her like she was some long lost cousin. They had given her the nickname Kayo. Her uncle hadn’t come after her again. He'd slowly drifted from her thoughts. 

Then he had shown up and taken Jeff away from her. Her uncle killed the great Jeff Tracy. The man who was more of an uncle to her in the past few years than The Hood ever was. He didn't deserve the title of uncle, and yet she could do nothing about her blood, her DNA, which forever tied her to that monster. That monster who cared only for himself. Anger burned inside Kayo, her hands becoming fists. 

The island had been shattered by Jeff's accident. The boys grieved deeply, Scott taking up his father's work when it came to declaring him missing in action. The young man had so much on his shoulders. He'd taken guardianship of Alan, even though Sally had volunteered. He'd been there for his brothers and his Grandma. Kayo had tried to be there for her father. He'd taken it badly, blamed himself. Kayo felt the same guilt, it gnawed away at her heart making her feel unworthy of being on the island, of being part of Jeff's vision. Her father had retreated to his room and locked himself in. There was nothing Kayo could do or say to make the door open. So she had grieved Jeff Tracy alone, or with Alan when she had caught him crying. 

Stretching out Kayo grabbed her tablet from the table and flicked it on. She'd planned to check out the news to distract her from the thoughts in her head, only to see a message from her father. She sat up in bed and her hands began to shake as she read the words.

_My dear Tanusha,_

__

__

I'm sorry I have to leave, but it's for the best. I cannot stay here another day. I cannot stay under Mr Tracy's roof knowing I am the cause of his demise. My failure let my brother take Mr Tracy's life. It's not safe for you or the Tracy family if I stay. I know you will be happy here, you always have been. Mr Scott Tracy will take care of you and your educational needs. 

_Stay safe._

Kayo felt her eyes well up but blinked the tears away. This couldn't be true. Her father wouldn't desert her. Throwing the tablet down and flinging her sheets off, Kayo raced from her room to her father's. The door opened onto a neat room. She went to the closet and yanked in open. It was empty. She opened every drawer to find the same thing. Everything was gone. Pain, hurt, anger all rose inside Kayo. Didn't she deserve a say? Didn't she need her father? How could he just leave her? Abandon her without saying goodbye? 

Her breathing was heavy as she headed back to her room. Slamming the door she pulled her top over her head and changed into her workout clothes. Her favourite joggers brought no comfort. Nothing could make her smile. Storming out the room, Kayo headed to the villa’s gym. She headed straight for the store cupboard and grabbed the punch bag by its chains. She dragged it out and hung it up. Glaring at it, she grabbed the bandages and started preparing her hands. No point hurting herself too much, the pain inside was enough. She took a deep breath and started a warm up. She knew she was hitting harder than she should, grunting when she hit a solid punch, but she needed the release. It was all boiling up inside her. The routine slipped away and she ended up just hitting it with alternating hands, trying to hurt the bag, trying to make it feel her pain. Sweat dripped down her forehead and she growled at the bag. Her hands throbbed but it just fired her up more. 

Her focus was on her fists and the bag as she tried to work it all out in her head. Kayo didn’t hear anyone enter the room, so when a hand landed on her shoulder she startled. Spinning round she came face to face with Scott. His hand fell on her and pulled her into a hug. The surprise left Kayo stunned and all she could do was shake in his embrace. Scott knew. Her father must have left him a note too. The warmth created by their close bodies started to seep through Kayo’s barriers and reach her broken heart. Her body started to relax into his and tears threatened to fall again. 

“He’s gone. He’s abandoned me. Abandoned International Rescue.”

“I know.”

Kayo peered up at Scott, his voice strong and steady as she felt it vibrate through her. Those blue eyes gazed down at him. Scott was so much like Jeff, so very much a younger version of her rescuer. In those same stunning blue eyes was the same expression of concern Jeff had had the day of her rescue. The tears fell and Kayo buried her face into Scott, wrapping her arms around him and clinging to him. Her rescuer was gone, her father was gone, would Scott leave her too? His hand brushed against her back and Kayo couldn’t help feeling safe in his arms. 

“You’ll always have a home here, Kayo. We won’t leave you.”

Kayo sobbed harder, gripping Scott tighter, scared he’d fade away. She believed him and she clung onto his words as he continued to comfort her.


End file.
